When Lighting Designer Eric Price reflects on his journey into the world of concert lighting, it's clear that his path was shaped by a deep love for live music. His formative experiences include becoming a devoted Phish fan in the late nineties during his senior year of high school. He was particularly influenced by the Talking Heads' film Stop Making Sense, where he first encountered theatrical lighting design in a rock setting. "I've never been much of a musician, so lighting was originally a way for me to be involved in live music without pursuing a career as a musician,* Price explained, sharing the inspiration behind his career path. His work as a lighting designer spans multiple genres and touring acts.

Price's current project showcases his expertise in one of touring's more complex logistical challenges: co-headlining tours. Working with Taking Back Sunday touring with Coheed and Cambria, he's navigating the intricate coordination required when two major acts share a stage. "There's a lot of coordination and collaboration that has to happen," Price notes, emphasizing that successful co-headlining requires strong relationships between all parties involved. I’ve known Ben Jarrett for a long time. On other co-headliner tours I've done, the lighting designers and I are also already friends. It's kind of an easy communication line when it all starts to happen. It's a nice free-flowing kind of work atmosphere. You're not worried about upsetting someone else. This professional network and open communication style contribute to the success of his projects. Price actually has found himself working with Coheed and Cambria twice this year with two different co-headlining acts. "I also just did Mastodon touring with them, so I'm doing the co-headline with the same other band twice this year, which is kind of cool. I've never done that before."

Carts and Scale

One of the most innovative aspects of Price's current tour design is his custom floor package featuring specially designed carts that address the unique challenges of outdoor festival settings. The adaptability of this system is a testament to its practical necessity: both Mastodon and Taking Back Sunday perform prior to Coheed and Cambria, often during daylight hours. "Both bands, Mastodon and Taking Back Sunday, play before Coheed at every show, says Price. "There are days when I have a little bit of twilight or sunset going on and where half the set was in broad daylight. Price's solution was custom pre-rigged carts that are "two foot deep, eight foot wide, and have four rows of schedule 40 pipe that come up. And on each pipe, there are four Elation Söl Blinders." The result is a system with "five carts with 16 fixtures on each, creating an incredibly bright floor package capable of cutting through daylight. 

Working in close collaboration with his vendor JRLX, Inc. and their metal fabricator, Price developed this custom solution through multiple iterations. "It was a fun little progression of three or four ideas before we landed on the right one," he recalls, highlighting the teamwork and shared effort involved in balancing portability, stability, and power requirements. The intensity of this system is notable, Price says, "At most, if I do just a nice, friendly-to-the-eye effects chase, I'm probably topping out at around 30, 35% depending on how saturated the color is. If I'm doing a CTO kind of twinkle through it, it's about 25 to 30% for basic strobe light level intensity. This system delivers a visual experience that is truly captivating." 

Price's design approach prioritizes scalability, allowing the rig to adapt to venues of various sizes. "The rig is designed with the crew in mind, making it easy to scale. Typically, the only adjustments needed involve resizing the video wall and removing the elastic sticks from the truss. This crew-friendly design is the foundation of my process, ensuring the rig can fit in any space.

The touring rig employs pre-rigged truss systems with integrated looms, although some components require daily setup. "There are down ladders that hang around the video screen, used for hanging fixtures on each day. However, these ladders have looms already built into them to facilitate the process. We aim to make it as pre-rigged and ready to set up as possible, given the large volume of equipment involved. Price's lighting design is enhanced by thoughtfully planned atmospheric effects. *We use a few hazers; my preference is hazebase hazers. We'll have four of those placed around the stage and possibly one in front, he explains.

Collaborative Production Management

The complexity of co-headlining tours extends beyond lighting into comprehensive production management. While each band maintains its own core team, strategic sharing of resources creates efficiency. Price works with shared crew members, including lighting and video technicians, while each band retains its own production manager: "Scott Edwards, Coheed and Cambria's, Tour Manager is great. My Tour Manager, Andrew Sprague, is also my Production Manager for Taking Back Sunday. The shared elements include the flown rig, video wall, some risers, and PA system, while each band maintains separate trucks for backline, wardrobe, and production cases. This compartmentalized approach allows everybody to take care of their little world and still come together."

Price's approach to video content for Taking Back Sunday sees him collaborating directly with the tour manager and receiving input from the band's singer. This tour marks the introduction of live camera feeds for Taking Back Sunday. "This time around, we're implementing some cameras with a video switcher that my tour manager is running. So, were doing a low-res I-Mag feed over content, which will be a first for them. We've been talking about doing it for a few years, so it's exciting and terrifying at the same time."

Creative Process and Budget Realities

Price's creative process is deeply connected to the music itself, with certain songs providing inspiration. He highlights Taking Back Sunday's new single "S'Old" as especially dynamic, along with crowd favorites like "Liar" and the challenging "Error: Operator." For the latter song, the band specifically requested police siren-like effects with glaring red and blue lights that would be "disorienting." This led to ongoing creative conversations about pushing boundaries while maintaining audience comfort. Price feels they have found the right balance.

Price is comfortable having creative conversations with the band, as his relationship with Taking Back Sunday began in 2016-17 through industry connections, demonstrating the importance of networking in the touring world. His consistent work with the band over the years has been built on mutual respect and loyalty, particularly evident during the pandemic when "they went above and beyond and really did some great things for us."

Like many designers, Price acknowledges the constant tension between creative ambition and financial reality. "At the beginning of the idea process everyone wants these wild, crazy, unique ideas. And then you start seeing how much things cost and how much time and manpower it's going to take. And it's like, well, that idea is gone. We’re going back to traditional. It works, it's cheaper, it's affordable.” However, Price believes this pragmatic approach doesn't diminish the creative impact of his work. Instead, it demonstrates how experienced designers can create powerful visual impact within practical constraints. For instance, Price's custom cart system, a unique solution he developed, allows for efficient and flexible lighting setups; maximizing creative impact; and maintains budget feasibility.

Price's work for Taking Back Sunday on the Coheed and Cambria co-headlining tour exemplifies his adaptability as a designer: part technical innovator, part collaborative artist, and part logistical coordinator. From his design that addresses real-world challenges while ensuring consistent creative quality across diverse venues, through clear communication with everyone in both band camps, he navigates the complex dynamics of co-headlining tours, creating memorable visuals that enhance the music while respecting both artistic vision and practical limitations.

Photo courtesy of PLSN.